Duplex Elastomer Component Used As A Bowstring Shock Suppressor

ABSTRACT

An accessory device described for use as a bowstring suppressor and held in place by a mounting rod fixed to the riser of a compound bow, recurve bow, long bow, or crossbow, so as to make contact with bowstring when bow is fired. Said device is made in two parts, one being a harder rubber or plastic material to mate with suppressor mounting rod for support, the second being a soft, flexible gel material that is over-molded the first part. Said over-molded gel comes into contact with bowstring upon firing of an arrow to suppress hand shock, vibration and noise in the archery implement. This arrangement was needed due to the physical properties of the gel material that prevents it from being used alone in a single molded part.

REFERENCES CITED

4,023,551 May, 1977 Huddleston 124/92 4,061,125 December, 1977 Trotter 124/23.1 4,080,951 March, 1978 Bateman III 124/92 4,628,892 December, 1986 Windedahl 124/25.6 5,016,604 May, 1999 Tilby 124/92 5,323,756 June, 1994 Rabska 124/86 5,362,046 November, 1994 Sims 473/300 5,452,704 September, 1995 Winebarger 124/92 5,016,603 May, 1991 Tentler 124/91 5,537,986 July, 1996 Summers 124/91 5,595,168 January, 1997 Martin 124/89 5,720,269 February, 1998 Saunders 124/86 5,772,541 June, 1998 Buiatti 473/520 5,979,427 November, 1999 Chalin 124/87 6,203,457 March, 2001 Snook 473/586 6,237,584 May, 2001 Sims 124/92 6,257,220 July, 2001 McPherson 124/89 6,298,842 October, 2001 Sims 124.89 6,446,620 September, 2002 Summers 124/92 6,550,467 April, 2003 Gallops, Jr. 124/25.6 6,634,348 October, 2003 Gallops, Jr. 124/86 6,684,874 February, 2004 Mizek 124/89 6,712,059 March, 2004 Donovan 124/89 6,758,205 July, 2004 Kronfeld 124/89 6,761,158 July, 2004 Wright 124/92 6,910,472 June, 2005 Mizek 124/89 6,966,314 November, 2005 McPherson 124/89

Other References Cited:

-   BowJax, Inc., www.bowjax.com -   Hoyt Bows, StealthShot™, www.hoyt.com -   Sims Vibration Laboratory, www.limbsaver.com -   Mathews Bows, www.mathewsinc.com -   PSE Archery, www.pse-archery.com -   Archery Research, www.archery-research.com -   Pearson Archery, www.pearsonsarchery.com -   Ross Archery, www.rossarchery.com -   CSS Archery, TunerZ Shock-Stop, www.richwoodarchery.com -   Elite Archery, www.elitearchery.com -   Martin Archery, www.martinarchery.com -   STS (Shock Terminator System), www.stsarchery.com, Cabela's 2006     Archery Catalog, page 49. -   Shock Stop™, Fred Bear Archery 2005 Catalog, pages 4, 6, 7, and 8. -   SwingArm Cable Guard Shock Stop™, Jennings Archery 2005 Catalog,     page 6 and 7. -   Buzz Buster, Pearson Archery 2004 Catalog, page 4. -   Deadly Quiet™ and Buzz-Off™ by Saunders Archery, www.sausa.com -   String Stop by Sterner Duttera, www.sternerduttera.com -   Falcon Industries, www.falconindustries.com -   Duravane, Inc., www.duravanes.com

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A great many of today's modern archers are using very light carbon arrows fired from high performance compound bows with velocities well over 300 feet/second. There are several bow companies advertising velocities over 320 feet/second with a 70 pound draw force and 30 inch draw length bow, shooting a 350 grain arrow. This is an I.B.O. standard of 5 grains of arrow weight per pound of draw force of which all bow manufactures use for advertising. When this tremendous amount of stored energy is released most of it is transferred to the arrow sending it downrange, some of this energy is also transferred to the bow in the form of vibration. This vibration creates unwanted noise and hand shock.

Many inventions have been introduced over the years to address this unwanted vibration. There are now a number of companies advertising that their products reduce vibration, noise and hand shock in archery bows. These products include string silencers, limb dampeners, stabilizers, and dampening devices mounted in the risers of archery bows. While a great many of these products by themselves and in combination with other products seem to reduce unwanted vibration, there is still more that can be done.

Recently there have been several inventions that address the bowstring oscillation following the release of an arrow from an archery bow. These inventions are usually some form of an elastomeric polymer part mounted to the bow and in contact with the bowstring when the bow is at rest. When an arrow is released from the bow there is the tendency for the bowstring to travel as much as an inch or more forward of it's normal rest position. How much the string oscillates is dependant on several factors such as the axle to axle length of the bow, the limbs, the cams, the arrow weight, style of arrow nock, and the combined weight of the bowstring accessories such as peep sights, nocking loops, and string silencers.

Some of these devices to reduce or eliminate string oscillation are mounted near the limb tips of the bow, while others are mounted to the cable guide rod or to the front or rear stabilizer holes on the bow riser. When an arrow is drawn back, the bowstring is pulled off of the elastomeric component. Then after the arrow is released from full draw the string returns to the elastomeric component stopping oscillation of the string and the subsequent vibration, noise and hand shock.

DISCUSSION OF PRIOR ART

Prior art which relates to the present invention, include the following patents and other known inventions:

U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,125 Trotter (1977). Describes a bowstring positioning device for preventing movement of a bowstring into a normal straight line position between the ends of a bow, which consists of a shaft, one end of which is mounted on the bow and the other end having an enlarged, padded projection to receive the bowstring.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,892 Windedahl, et al. (1986). Disclosed is a silencer for reducing the noise made by an archery bow when an arrow is shot. An elastic member having one end attached to the limb is stretched to its full length when the bowstring is drawn and returned to the relaxed length when the bowstring is returned to the brace height.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,704 Winebarger (1995). Discloses a combination cable guard and vibration dampener whereby the sliding movement of a cable retaining means on a cable rod causes a spring member having a cushioning material therein to converge upon and embrace the bowstring after the shot. The patent recites that this device causes bowstring vibration and attendant noise to immediately cease.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,168 Martin (1997). Discloses a dampening apparatus formed of a semi-solid substance which is located in the handle of the archery bow. This patent notes that a wide range of cable guards and cable sliders have been developed to reduce noise.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,269 Saunders (1998). Disclosed is a cushioned member of sound dampening material in physical contact with the bowstring. When the bowstring is drawn and then released the vibration of the bowstring is dampened by compression of the cushioned member and by the compressed cells of the cushion member clamping the bowstring. The cushioned member does not itself move because it is mounted on a stationary rod attached to the cable guard.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,467 Gallops, Jr. (2003). Disclosed is a traveling bowstring vibration dampener for use in a compound bow is movable in response to the draw and release of a bowstring.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,348 Gallops, Jr. (2003). Discloses a traveling vibration dampener for dampening bowstring oscillation and the vibration dampener is mounted in an opening in a bumper stem connected to a cable saver and the cable saver and the vibration dampener move together.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,314 McPherson (2005). Disclosed is a vibration and noise suppressor being carried by a support having an attachment device at an end of the support for attachment to a limb of an archery bow. The support carries the vibration and noise suppressor which is confined and arranged to suppress vibration and noise created by the bowstring when launching an arrow.

U.S. Patent Application 20060278207 Goade. Discloses a bowstring shock suppressor that can be mounted to the riser of a bow by either the front or rear stabilizer mounting holes. The invention uses a cushion mounted to the end of a mounting rod to stop bowstring vibration. Said cushion is made of rubber, urethane, or closed cell waterproof foam. The inventors product is sold under the commercial name of “STS” (Shock Terminator System).

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The object of the invention is to eliminate bowstring oscillation and suppress vibration and noise in an archery bow following the release of an arrow. This preferred embodiment mounts on the end of a mounting rod supplied by the bow manufacturer or other archery accessory manufacturer. The outer gel shell of the invention is adjusted via the mounting rod to come into contact with the bowstring when the bow is at rest while held in place by the inner insert onto said mounting rod. The resilient properties of the gel material help to decelerate the bowstring to a complete stop at a much faster rate, and reduces wear and tear on bowstring better than competing products. The stiffer more rigid rubber insert holds the device onto the rod far more securely, thus eliminating the chance of the device to be dislodged from mounting rod. The insert also creates a larger diameter end surface area and provides protection from the gel shell being pinched between bowstring and the metallic or carbon mounting rod resulting in cuts to the gel material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of device used to suppress bowstring vibrations.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of device used to suppress bowstring vibrations as seen from the bottom.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of device used to suppress bowstring vibrations mounted on a bow.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a device to suppress bowstring vibrations. The inner hard rubber insert 1 with a hole 3 for installing on a mounting rod and gel overmolded shell 2.

FIG. 2 shows a device used to suppress bowstring vibrations. The mounting hole 3 is sized to fit tightly over mounting rod by hard rubber insert 1 which supports the gel overmolded shell 2.

FIG. 3 shows a device used to suppress bowstring vibrations on suppressor mounting rod 4 attached to bow riser 6. The gel overmolded shell 2 is in contact with bowstring 5, when bow is at rest. 

1.) A two part, elastomeric polymer device supported by a mounting rod that places said device in contact with a bowstring after firing an arrow from a compound bow, recurve bow, long bow, or crossbow comprising of: a rigid insert made of a higher durometer material sized to fit securely over mounting rod; a much softer durometer gel material overmolded onto the outside of the insert; 2.) The device from claim 1 where the durometer of the insert material can have a hardness range from 13 Shore A to 80 Shore A hardness. 3.) The device from claim 1 where the durometer of the overmolded gel material can have a hardness range from 30 Shore OO to 10 Shore A. 4.) The overmolded gel part of device from claim 1 absorbs the leftover energy resulting from the firing of an arrow from an archery bow to reduce hand shock, vibration, and noise when it comes into contact with bowstring. 5.) The mounting rod from claim 1 is secured to the archery implement by separate means not applicable to the scope of this invention. 